Car-door fastening and releasing device



M. J. NEUMANN AND J. c. MATHER.

CAR DOOR FASTENING AND RELEASING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE l, 1920.

1,376,350. Patentd Apr. 26, 1921.

2 SHEETS- SHEET I.

t M. J. NEUMANN AND J. C. MATHER. CAR DOOR FASTENING AND RELEASING DEVICE.

1,376,350. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1920. Patented Apr 26 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE.

MARTIN J. NEUMANN AND JOSEPH C. MATHER, 0F OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

CAR-DOOR FASTENING AND RELEASING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1921.

Application filed June 1, 1920. Serial No. 385,804.

To all rc/tom it'mafy concern Be it known that we, MARTIN J. NEU- MANN and JosEPn C. HATHER, citizens of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the county of \Vinnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCar-Door Fastening and Releasing Devices; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art'to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a car door fastening and releasing device, and more specifically to an improved releasing, closing and locking device for car doors.

()ne objectof this invention is to generally improve upon devices of this character by providing .an improved and comparatively simple and inexpensive device of this character that is effective to press the door tightly closed and to effectively secure it in this tightly closed position.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out or implied in the following details of description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a car body having our improved door fastener applied thereto, this fastener being in the effective or door-holding position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the lower portion of the door in elevation with the fastener associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a ;vertical sectional view, the section being taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking member or bar disconnected.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged View showing the device and a fragment of the door in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the structure of Fig. 6.

Referring to these drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which the car body 1, doorway 2. door 3 and track 4 are of ordinary construction, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts which will now be described as follows:

In the form shown in Figs. 1 through 5, the doorholding device comprises a locking bar 5, one or more keepers 6, a lever 7, a hasp 8 on the lever or constituting a part thereof, a staple, eye or keeper 9 and links 10, these links being pivotally secured at 11 to a bar 19, and being riveted or otherwise secured to the bar 5. The bar 19 extends through a guide 20 so that the bar will be held in a vertical position and permitted to slide freely. An opening 21 is formed in this bar 19 to receive the end portion 7" of the lever 7. The lever is fulcrumed at 12, this fulcrum or pivotal connection being secured on the door 3 by any appropriate means. The hasp 8 is provided with a slot 13 for receiving the eye or keeper 9, and a padlock (not shown) or other appropriate means may be employed for securing the hasp 8 in engagement with the keeper 9. Thekeeper 9 and the keepers 6 are secured by any appropriate means to the body 1, and one or more guiding devices 14 are secured to the door 3 by any appropriate means. The studs 15 of the members 14 extend outward through slots 16 of the locking bar 5. these slots being vertically disposed, that is, they extend laterally of the locking bar 5. The studs 15 are provided with heads which bear against the outer surface of the locking bar 5 and hold its inner surface against the vertical surfaces of the members 14. The lower outer edge of the locking barb is beveled or inwardly and downwardly inclined as shown at 17, and the keepers 6 are provided with downwardly and inwardly inclined surfaces indicated at 18.

From theforegoing description it will be seen that when the hasp 8 is engaged with the keeper 9, the lever 7 is stabilized, that is held in a predetermined fixed position, and

that the links 10 co-act therewith to hold the locking bar 0 in engagement with the keepers 6. However, when the hasp 8 is released from the keeper 9, the lever 7 may be swung and this operation of the lever 7 imparts upward movement to the lever 19 and causes the links 10 to lift the locking bar 5 out of engagement with the keepers (i,

and thereby free the lower portion of the door and permit it to be swung outward over the keepers 6 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. ()n the other hand, when it is desired to press and hold the door in its closed position, the lever 7 is swung into the position shown in Fig. 1, while the door is substantially vertical, and

' gagement does not insure absolute safety against such movement of the door, but such absolute safety is secured by the engagement of the jointed lever 78, its pivotal connection to the door at 12, and the locking en gagement of the levers hasp with the keepers 9.

In the form shown in Figs. 6 and T, the general construction is similar to that of Figs. 1 through 5. By comparing Fig. (3

with Fig. 1. it will be seen that the onlydifference between the two forms is in the manner of connecting the links 10 with the lever 7. In the form shown in Fig. 1, the links 10 are connected with the bar 19 engaged by the lever 7 whereas in the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the links are pivotally connected with the end portion of the lever and are thus directly connected with the lever instead of being connected to the bar 19 which is engaged by the lever.

It should be understood, of courseythat the door 3 is supported by and depends from the track 4 and is movable along this track for opening and closing the doorway.

In both forms of the invention, a strip or plate 22 is secured to the lower inner side of the door, the inner side of this strip being flush with the inner side of the door so that a leak-proof joint is provided between the. door and body 1. The lower edge of the strip 22 extends below the lower edge of the door proper and serves as an abutment to co-act with the outer and upwardly extending portions of the keepers G for limiting the outward swinging movement of the door, thereby preventing injury to the brackets or hangers by means of which the door is secured to the track 4, at the same time providing a sufficient clearance between the door and any contents of the car which was previously bearing against the door. to permit the door to be moved along the track without interference by said contents. l\'Ioreover. even if the sides of the car are bulged. from any cause, this does not interfere with the free and easy movement of the door along the track 4, because the door swings out sufliciently to clear or avoid contact with the bulged portion.

It is not intended to limit this invention to the structure defined by the foregoing description or disclosed by the drawings. but changes may be made within the scope of the inventive ideas as implied and claimed.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is:

1. In combination with a body having a doorway and a. door slidably mounted and having swinging movement toward and away from the body. of a door keeper carried by the body beneath the doorway and having an upstanding head extension positioned in spaced relation to the outer face of the door when the door is in a vertical position, a cam element slidably mounted upon the door for engaging the upstanding head of the door keeper and forcing the door into tight engagement with the body. an actuating lever pivotally connected with the door .and adapted to be releasably secured to the door frame in a set position. a bar slidably mounted on the door and having an opening receiving the lever whereby the bar will be slid vertically when the lever is swung upon its pivot. and links carried by said bar and having connection with said cam element for imparting vertical sliding movement to the cam element when the lever is swung upon its pivot and the bar moved vertically. Y i

2. The combination with a .body having a doorway and a door slidably mounted and having swinging movement toward and away from the body of a door guide carried by the body beneath the door and having an up standing head extension positioned in spaced relation to the outer face of the door when the door is in a vertical position. a securing bar extending longitudinally of the lower end portion of the door and slidably mounted for vertical sliding movement. the bar having its lower edge portion beveled from its outer face to provide a cam face for engaging the upstanding head of the door guide and forcing the door into tight engagement with the body, an actuating lever pivotally mounted on said door and coinprising a hasp. a keeper on said body to which said hasp is adapted to be releasably secured. and operative connections between said lever and said bar comprising a pair of links secured to the respective ends of said bar whereby on operation of said lever vertical sliding movement is imparted to said bar.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

MARTIN a. xiu'uvvx. Josnru e. MATHER.

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